DareDragon
by SorceryGeniusLina
Summary: The Light has a new ally in the form of someone Evil. After the mysterious Trial Draco faced over the summer he seems changed but there's still more to him than meets the eye. What side is Draco really on? And wait Draco's blind! DracoHermione.


1

**DareDragon**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 1: Cry of the White Wolf**

He couldn't believe he had managed to get out of there alive. And let alone with _it. _Getting past the many booby traps and Dark Spells protecting the place had been hard enough but now he had to deal with _them_.

Draco Malfoy looked over his shoulder at the men in dark cloaks that were pursing him - Death Eaters. Today was just not his day. He had been badly injured by the last obstacle he had to get past in order to obtain this darn thing and now he was forced to run for his life because it was most definitely the most logical thing to do at that moment. In his current condition he would be easy pickings.

Draco tripped and found himself losing his balance as he fell. _Damn. Damn. Damn_. He used his bloody hands to push himself off the ground and quickly rolled on his back sideways just as a flash of light hit the ground where he had been lying only moments before leaving a scorched mark in the earth. _Shit! _They were already firing off the Unforgiveables at him!

Draco quickly pushed himself to his feet and faced his opposition.

"_Crucio!_" Rang the low voice of one of the Death Eaters again.

Draco stepped sideways with cat-like reflexes narrowly missing the spell as it sped right by his head cutting a few strands of his unruly blonde hair on its way past.

Draco looked smug for a split second before his eyes widened almost comically. "Scary!"

The Death Eaters laughed as they then simultaneously began firing off the Unforgiveables at Draco left and right. Draco sidestepped and back-flipped doing strange convulsions of the body and making quite the spectacle of himself as he strangely managed to dodge all of the attacks.

"This boy has the devil's luck." One Death Eater said gruffly.

"But it cant hold out forever not when he's wandless."

Draco felt a pang of regret. His wand was lying somewhere beneath boiling magma but now was not the time to be lamenting the loss of his wand...which had also been VERY expensive. Did he forget to mention it had been the very best and VERY expensive.

Draco brought his mind back to the task at hand. These men were not just ordinary Death Eaters. Draco knew he was in over his head. These were Voldemort's Elite. But not only that they were a special force working for Voldemort with special abilities. He wasn't quite sure exactly what those abilities were but knew they were powerful enough that no one who had seen them show these abilities lived to tell the tale.

"I don't think it's honorable to face this young man, who is wandless, with our wands wouldn't you agree, Fenrir?" One of the men questioned in what seemed like pensive tone, but there was an underlying menace in his voice.

"I think you have a point there, Spike." The other smiled evilly. "I think we should kill this boy the old fashioned way."

Draco raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at them. Just what were they planning...fighting him wandless? They couldn't be serious. Unless...

Draco watched as the Death Eaters sheathed their wands and suddenly a strange dark aura could be seen surrounding them. Draco couldn't seem to move or react but simply watched as the Death Eater's robes became too small for their occupants and the moonlight that was overhead seemed to glint off of teeth that had lengthened and become sharper.

In a matter of moments there standing before Draco were no longer seven men but seven werewolves.

Draco took a step back. Things had just gone from bad to worse...to pure hell.

"Aw SHIT!" Draco yelled as he turned to run again clutching his knapsack so tightly this knuckles turned whiter than they were already. "This is sooo not good." Draco rounded a corner and found himself running down a dark alley.

If there was one thing about Knockturn alley is it was easy to lose people since there was no logical design but just a series of streets and side streets. They were in Knockturn alley since this is where Draco had apparated to directly from the place where he had managed to steal _it. _What he hadn't been expecting was the welcoming party.

There was another thing about Knockturn alley - it was really easy to get turned around.

Draco found himself looking at a dead end. "Aw man. I'm not really cut out for this kind of thing. This is more up Potter's alley, really, escaping Death Eaters and all. What have I gotten myself into. Oh well, what do they say when life hands you lemons you make lemonade!"

Draco said as the werewolves were closing in.

It was now or never. He hadn't wanted to reveal this latest skill he possessed to his enemies since it was like his trump card but he'd never even be able to put his trump card to good use if he ended up dead at the hands of werewolves now could he?

"This is the end for you boy," Fenrir growled.

"Oh, impressive, you can retain your human thought processes while in that form." Draco smirked.

"This is NOT the time to be impressed boy!" Spike reminded him viciously.

Draco hit his fist into his hand, "Oh yea you're right!" Draco noticed that his odd behavior somewhat put his attackers off their guard. Perfect. Draco suddenly concentrated as hard as he could. It reminded him unfortunately of that time when he was turned into a ferret and bounced around. Really NOT one of his favorite memories but oh well.

Pain shot up and down Draco's spine and he could feel his bones changing shape. He felt himself getting smaller and then suddenly the prickling sensation of goose bumps breaking all over his skin as hair began to grow. He could fell his own teeth lengthening and was vaguely reminded of how he had put that curse on Granger so that her teeth had gotten larger. Brilliant, that had been. Ruddy brilliant.

But now was not the time to be praising himself. He was now on all fours as he faced off the seven werewolves. And when he spoke next instead of words came a low, growl. Draco tried again concentrating this time.

"Well boys surprised?" Draco asked and one could almost hear the confident smirk in his voice.

"So the boy is an animagnus." Fenrir began. "That doesn't change anything really, he still must die."

"Aw man and here I thought all use wolves were like brethren or something." Draco sounded like he was pouting.

"Tough luck boy, you have still betrayed the Dark Lord. And it up to us to take you down and return to him what you have stolen, insolent brat! Now attack!" Fenrir commanded and all other six of them moved in for the kill.

"Well its now or never..." Draco mumbled to himself. "Man I'm so not cut out for this. How can Potter stand these heroics? They're quite bothersome really. Oh well here I go trying to selflessly risk my life for the good of mankind. Yea right. Dang, how low can you go? I wonder if Potter gets paid for this sort of thing. If so I definitely want a cut after this!" Draco snarled the last part as he leapt sideways in his wolf form to avoid one of the slashing jaws of one of the werewolves as it leapt at him.

"Dang these guys are fast. Guess that means that I'll just have to be faster!" Draco sped

towards one of the werewolves and pulled a fake out attacking the werewolf that was next to his comrade instead. Not having anticipated this the werewolf was thoroughly surprised that Draco's fangs had embedded themselves into his neck and then suddenly with a quick jerk of his powerful jaws Draco had broken the Death Eater's neck.

'_I can't believe I actually got one_.' Draco smiled to himself. '_This might not be so hard after all..._' Draco was thinking just as he was slammed into the nearby wall. He hit the wall with a sickening thud and the sound of a hurt dog rang through the alley way. Draco's body slid to the dirty alley floor and lay motionless.

"That boy was all talk, now finish him." Fenrir grinned.

One of the werewolves stalked over and prepared to deal Draco a fatal attack when all of a sudden Draco's voice rang through the air.

"_Avada Kedavra._"

There was a flash of green light and the werewolf fell down dead.

"But that's impossible! How could the boy cast a spell without a wand? Let alone in his wolf form?"

Draco's upper lip curled back into a feral looking grin. "I'm not the same sniveling, spineless coward I was last year...well so Im, but I have a few new tricks. Thanks to a very good teacher." Draco smiled thinking back on his time with Snape and how his potions teacher and later Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had trained him up so he would have a fighting chance to face The Trial and come out alive over the summer.

Draco got back on all four feet and faced off with the remaining werewolves. The four were closing in and just as they all leapt at Draco he quickly jumped out of the way over them. As he was flying over them he concentrated on sending another curse at one of the werewolves.

"Crucio!" He shouted and another werewolf fell crumpling up in pain on the cold cobblestones.

"Three down...four to go." Draco murmured. His breath was coming in and out in short painful gasps. When he had to face the last obstacle to obtain _it _he had not come out unscathed and was suffering from several broken ribs in fact. Dang is only he was good at the White Healing Arts and not just the Dark Arts then maybe he could have done something about his wounds.

'_Oh well, I'm sure I can study up on that later...' _Draco thought. _'I can't give up now not after how far I've come and all I've gone through...and not after what happened to **her**. I can't allow her death to have been in vain.' _ His memories of _her_ were coming back to him and filling him with renewed vigor he attacked once more.

Soon he was rolling on the ground attacking with bites and curses as he too was being attacking from all sides by the other werewolves. The three were attacking him all at once so it wasn't long before they began to overpower him. One of the werewolves sunk his teeth into one of Draco's front legs and there was a sick crunching sound.

Draco cried out, yelping in his wolf form before attacking the other werewolves face so that he would be forced to let go of Draco's now injured front leg.

Draco struggled to get back on all fours and noticed that his vision was getting blurry. He had lost a lot of blood. The three were wearing him down while Draco noticed the last and leader of the group hadn't even gotten int the fray yet. The one werewolf Draco had also Crucioed was back on his feet and fighting Draco now as well. Damn, he should have killed the man while he had the chance but something had held him back.

Sure he had easily killed the first one with a quick Avada Kedavra but that had been the first time Draco had killed another human being before and whether he realized it subconsciously or not it was weighing heavily down upon him. He kept remembering her voice in his head... _'No one had the right to take the life of another human being..' _in his head. Damn it! Why now of all times did he have to go and grow a conscious. Not when the odds were so against him.

If he didn't fire off his curses to kill there was no way he would get out of this mess. But Draco was also worried about what else _she _had said. _'The Darkness in man's heart is always there waiting for that time of weakness when you'll slip and fall and then once you've fallen into the abyss its so easy to keep slipping down the sides until you're so far down you can no longer have the hope of ever getting back out again. Things like taking lives become easy until you're nothing but a heartless murderer...until you're no different from a mindless beast.'_

If Draco killed again would he just keep on killing until he couldn't stop? How had Potter gotten out of these types of situations without killing anyone? Or had he? Draco suddenly felt very weak. That's what he was weak. He didn't have enough strength to get himself out of this situation alive and he knew that now.

But he would be damned if he let them get _it._

No, Draco decided if he was going down they were going down with him.

Draco concentrated and suddenly he was standing on two feet again. He reached into his knapsack and pulled _it _out. The werewolves stopped and stood watching their eyes transfixed on the object in Draco's hands which was emanating a dark power.

Draco slowly kneeled on the ground and with his finger which was already covered in blood began to draw a circle with symbols around and inside it. He then slowly placed the object inside and began to chant...

Fenrir's eyes widened as he realized just what Draco was doing. "Damn it! You fool! Do you plan to kill us all!"

Draco looked up at him with tired eyes and a weary expression. "I have no choice do I?...At least I don't think I do." Draco sighed. "I was never cut out to be a hero..." Draco finished his chan, a bright light filling the alley way.

"NOO!" Fenrir cried.

The werewolves howling in defeat.

And then there was nothing.

Ooo

"Harry! Ron!" Hermione called as she rushed over to them. They were at King's Cross Station, Platform 9 and 3/4. Getting ready once again to ride the train back to Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry.

Harry and Ron turned to see Herimone running towards them and had a strange feeling of deja vu. There she was running to them again just as the train was about to leave. Her bushy brown hair flying out behind her. A smile on her face. Just as if nothing had changed. It all seemed so surreal.

Finally she reached them huffing and puffing. She had been late to the station since her parents had to put braces on some kid. Hermione sighed. Just another normal day it seemed. At least on the outside.

Hermione smiled at her two friends and they smiled back. They all looked at each other for a moment before sighing.

"It just feels so strange to be going back..." Hermione said carefully.

Harry ran a hand through his unruly black hair. "Yea, Im surprised the Ministry decided to reopen Hogwarts after...everything that happened. I wonder who the new Headmaster will be."

"That's not all Im worried about haven't you heard the latest?" Hermione said leaning in so that Ron and Harry followed suite and leaned in closer to Hermione. "You know how Malfoy was missing after...well you know. And how he was suspect to everything that happened. Well apparently Malfoy showed up and claimed that when he let those Death Eaters into the school he was under the imperious curse or something like it and even when under Veritaserum he passed. Isn't that strange? Maybe he was able to fake out the Veritaserum somehow. But that's not all he'll be coming back to Hogwarts. Apparently both the Ministry and the new Headmaster has approved him to come back and finish his final year. Isn't that crazy?"

"I can't believe they're going to just let that evil bastard back into the school! After everything he's done, after everything he's caused!" Ron growled as he began to turn red. "What the hell could have possessed them to make that kind of decision. He's a Death Eater's son and Death Eater himself! Like father like son."

Harry didn't know what to think or feel. He was conflicted. Sure he hated Malfoy and definitely didn't look forward to seeing him come to school again but it was sort of normal. It felt like normalcy to Harry that he would be seeing his arch-nemesis again. Besides it would be better for Malfoy to be around close so he could keep an eye on him to make sure he wasn't up to no good. Although he had failed pretty miserably the last time. Well, this time he would just have to keep a better eye on him!

Harry's thoughts flew back to that critical moment when Draco's wand had been pointed at Dumbledore. How it had lowered not even an inch but it had lowered. Draco had hesitated. It sure didn't mean Draco was a saint or anything but to Harry this was enough for him to doubt that Draco was the 'pure' evil Death Eater extrordinaire they had all thought him to be. Maybe there was more to Draco Malfoy than met the eye after all.

Ron was still going off about how wrong it was that Draco was allowed to come back. Harry sighed he supposed he should tell his friends what had happened and so he did.

Hermione and Ron looked back at Harry with blank expressions before-

"So what." Ron spat. "That doesn't change what he _did _Harry. Are you saying you're going to forgive him or something? Forgive that he killed Dumbledore!"

"He didn't kill Dumbledore, Ron." Harry said in a low voice. "Snape did."

"And we're still not really sure about Snape's motives either." Hermione admonished. "I think Harry's right. We shouldn't be so quick to judge until we have at least heard their side of the story."

"You two are crazy. Draco Malfoy is an evil bastard that can't be trusted. You know why he's coming back don't you? To finish the job and that means you're next Harry. Draco Malfoy is satan, the devil incarnate. He's Death Eater scum who will never be anything more than a murdering fiend. He's-"

"Blind." Hermione gasped suddenly.

"That's right he's- huh?" Ron stopped himself suddenly and looked at Hermione questioningly. Hermione simply pointed ahead of her.

There stepping through the invisible barrier to get to the platform 9 and 3/4 was Draco Malfoy himself. He looked pretty much the same as they had last seen him except for a few remarkable differences. His usually slicked back hair fell in an unruly fashion about his face. His right arm was in some sort of a sling. He was wearing black shaded sunglasses. His normally perfect gait was altogether different since he was limping and strangest of all in his right hand was held a leash that lead to a collar which was on an animal that to Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked a whole lot like Snuffles.

But Sirius was dead wasn't he? _And if he was alive there's no way he would suddenly be a seeing-eye dog for the now blind Draco Malfoy. _Hermione thought to herself.

"Alright Grim, lead me to the train would ya." Draco told the dog as he stroked the animal's fur for a second. The animal obeyed and lead Draco in the direction of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Hermione held her breath as Draco passed them. After he had pasted she let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She had been waiting for Draco's usual greeting of a sling of insults directed at her and Harry but no such luck. She gasped he really was blind!

The dog stopped suddenly and Draco looked just about as confused as the Griffindor Trio felt at that moment.

"Huh? Why did you stop? Is there someone there? Uh, hello?" Draco said with an edge of nervousness in his voice. Was it a Death Eater?

Hermione seeing his apprehension decided to come clean. "It's just us Malfoy."

Draco actually seemed relieved at the sound of Hermione's voice but he quickly recovered and sneered. "Oh, great, just my luck to run into the Dream Team. Here to take advantage of me now that Im utterly defenseless have you, Weasel, Potty, Im assuming you're here with your...wench. So who's going to take the first cheap shot hmm? Probably the Weasel since it's the only thing he could ever _afford _anyways."

Ron turned pink. "Why you...Ill show you!" Ron was starting forward when both Hermione and Harry grabbed onto him and held him back.

"Ron are you crazy he's _blind_." Hermione scolded.

There was something about the way she said that last word that really unsettled Draco. "I don't need your pity Granger. Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I can't still take the three of you on. Bring it!" Draco puffed up his chest and looked a rather pathetic figure in Hermione's eyes. She felt herself feeling sorry for the git.

"She's right Ron, it's not right." Harry agreed ignoring Draco's comment. Harry was more concerned about the whys of things than the now. How the hell did Draco end up this way was what he was dying to know. "Malfoy..." Harry cleared his throat. "How the hell did you end up blind anyways?"

This question made even Ron stop his struggling as he had also been wondering the same exact thing. But his anger still getting the better of him Ron couldn't keep quiet. "Probably one of the Aurors sent a slick hex his way which he was too clumsy to avoid when he was fleeing the scene of the crime."

"Ron!" Hermione yelped. Hermione quickly looked back at Draco to see the lines of his face becoming taut with his anger.

"How dare you say that, Weasel. You know nothing! You know nothing about me! Nothing about what I've been through this summer...nothing at all." Draco clenched his fists around his dog leash.

"Ha! I know all about your little disappearance as you tried to RUN AWAY. Only guilty people run from the scene of the crime you know. We all know you did it anyways so it doesn't really matter. We knew and suspected you from the start. You're just a wannabe murderer! A pathetic excuse for a Death Eater!"

This was the last straw for Draco. "I am not a Death Eater!" Draco yelled as he launched himself at Ron in his general direction from hearing his voice.

Draco's aim happened to be pretty accurate for a blind man and he and Ron both went crashing to the ground. Suddenly a series of punches ensued as the boys began to fight in earnest.

"Ron stop!" Hermione cried. She tried to pry Ron off of Draco only to find his elbow connecting with her gut and she went flying backwards with an 'oof' into Harry's waiting arms.

"Hermione are you ok?" Harry asked, a concerned look on his face.

"Yea, Im fine Harry thanks." Hermione forced a smile and could not believe what she was seeing. Ron was being such a jerk!

"Filthy Death Eater scum!" Ron was saying. "I'll show them! I'll show them all just what you really are!" Ron made a grab for Draco's shirt sleeve.

Draco realized what Ron was up to and quickly punched Ron across the face. This caused Ron to go flying back but Ron didn't let go of Draco's sleeve so in the process the sleeve was torn revealing Draco's upper arm for everyone on platform 9 and 3/4 to see.

Hermione lifted a hand to her mouth and gasped.

There was no Dark Mark to be seen but instead a horrible scar. Or at least the Dark Mark was mostly hidden beneath the many lacerations that had been cut repeatedly into the skin there and that had then scarred. It was most definitely not a pretty sight.

Draco could feel the stares on him. "You happy now, Weasel? Have you satisfied your curiosity enough about me for one day? Why can't you people just leave me alone." Draco said in a somewhat defeated tone as he struggled to get to his feet. And to think this was only the beginning...the school year hadn't even started yet. And Draco knew and dreaded that Slytherin house would not be as safe a place for him as it once had been.

Hermione distinctly thought she heard a few Slytherins near them mutter '_traitor' _with venom in their voice.

As Hermione and Harry both watched Draco as he tried to stand they felt something they never thought they'd feel towards Draco Malfoy, the person they were supposed to totally and utterly hate - pity.

Hermione went to Draco's side and tried to help him but of course not knowing or caring who it was that was offering help quickly shrugged her off. "I don't need anyone's help." He spat. Hermione bristled but didn't say anything. He then quickly groped through the air until he found Grim and his hand once again having found the leash made the dog finally lead him inside the train.

Harry's eyes followed Draco before landing on that dog again. There was just something strange about that animal. Where had Draco managed to get a pet dog anyways? Well, Harry supposed it couldn't be all that hard being a multi billionaire and all. But it still seemed like an un-Molfoyesque kind of thing to do. He shrugged he would worry about that tomorrow.

Ooo

The sorting ceremony and most of the back to school dinner went by in a sort of blur for Draco. Well, one big dark blur, since he couldn't see anything anyways.

Everyone had been whispering in hushed tones as to who the young woman was that was seated at the former Headmaster's seat. Was she the new Headmistress? They all wondered.

"I have a few start of term notices..." A recognizable female voice began. Draco immediately recognized that voice as being that of Mcgonagall, although it was slightly more high-pitched and lighter sounding than usual, and less scratchy.

"What's that old bat going on about now?" Draco mumbled. He was seated across from Pansy Parkinson with Crabbe and Goyle on either side of him. Some things never changed.

Pansy suddenly looked perplexed. "Draco why on earth did you call the new Headmistress 'an old bat' she's got to be in her late twenties at the most."

"Pansy, what are YOU talking about. It's Mcgonagall she's at least a hundred years old..." Draco smirked.

He hadn't been expecting the widespread reaction to his words however. Everyone at the Slytherin table as well as the other tables seemed to fall quiet at his words.

"Professor Mcgonagall?" Came Harry Potter's voice through the calm.

After that there was an uproar. Draco felt frustrated that he didn't know what the hell was going on. He knew Pansy was in front of him so decided to try her. "Pansy would you mind filling me in on what the hell is going on?"

"Oh, right, I forgot you're an invalid now." Draco could swear Pansy was smiling. "Well, it seems you've unraveled the mystery of our new Headmistress its Mcgonagall but she's now younger...maybe she drank from the fountain of youth or something."

Draco scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous Pans there is no such thing."

The new Headmistress' voice rang throughout the great hall high and clear as she ordered for everyone's attention. "Silence! As Mr. Malfoy here was so good to point out it is indeed I, Minerva Mcgonagall. I will be your new Headmistress this year. Quiet! I know the question that is upon everyone's tongue. Why is it that I look this way then? Well now that..." Everyone in the hall waited for an explanation with bated breath. Even Draco held his breath waiting for an answer.

'_Could is be true then...the fountain of youth really exists._' Draco wondered.

"Is a secret." Mcgonagall finished and everyone promptly fell out of their chairs or face first into their food.

Draco quickly recovered and pulled himself together. "You old hag!"

ooo

Draco allowed the dog, which he decided to call Grim just because it would probably spook people out, to lead him down to the Slytherin dorms that were deep in the dungeons.

"Come along, Grim."

He heard light footfalls coming up behind him. '_Pansy's_...'

"Password?" Asked the sphinx in the painting that guarded the Slytherin dorms.

"Labyrinth." Pansy replied. A chill went down Draco's spine as he remembered...The Trial. No, now was not the time to let those memories haunt him. He would think about that later he decided as he steeled himself and walked through the portrait hole into the Slytherin common room.

There was an eerie silence as he entered. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. It gave him a really bad feeling. "Pansy...?" Draco found himself calling out for her.

"Hi there Draco." It was Crabbe's voice. Draco breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yo, Crabbe."

"Draco." Came Goyle's voice.

"Goyle." Draco acknowledged. These two were nothing to be feared. They were his cronies after all. They had been his loyal minions ever since their first year at Hogwarts. Backing him up with their strength when he had lacked it due to his smaller size. He had grown of course and no longer needed their muscle so much anymore but now that Draco was blind he would be needing their assistance more than ever. He was counting on them to help him get through this. If there was anyone he could trust it had to be them.

Draco suddenly found his world spinning. His head ached and he found himself falling forward. '_What the hell?..._' Draco wondered numbly. He hit the cold stone floor with a thud. "Wha?" Draco questioned aloud trying to push himself up. He could hear his dog Grim growling.

"Draco no!" Pansy had cried out.

Draco didn't have time to say more as two people were upon him. Pain. That's all Draco felt. Something was ramming into him over and over again with surprising strength. Fists. Their fists. Fists that he never thought would be used against him.

"Stop it you guys! Why are you doing this? You're hurting him!" Pansy shrieked. Pansy ran forward and tried to stop a downward swing form one of Goyle's fists. Goyle just swung his arm backwards instead and Pansy was sent flying backwards into the far wall. She lay there stunned.

"_Traitor_." Goyle growled.

"_Traitor." _Crabbe agreed.

It really was true. Draco's eyes widened. His cronies Crabbe and Goyle were really beating him up. They were betraying him... Just then when Draco was sure the pain would never end he heard his dog Grim. With a fierce growl the dog leapt at Goyle and bit down hard on Goyle's right arm. Goyle cried out in pain and tried to pry the dog's teeth from his arm but to no avail. As Goyle was struggling with the dog Crabbe had stopped his beating of Draco. "Finish him..." Goyle told Crabbe through gritted teeth.

Crabbe grunted accent, used to receiving orders and carrying them out.

"Aw shit..." Draco muttered as he tried to back away from the direction he thought Crabbe would be coming from. Unfortunately he backed right up into something hard and realized he had backed up right into Crabbe rather than away from him. "Opps..."

Crabbe quickly placed both hands around Draco's neck and began to squeeze.

"No...don't' kill him.." Came Pansy's weak voice. "Why isn't anyone helping him...why..." She had started crying.

And that's when Draco realized something. They were in the Slytherin common room and they weren't alone. Surrounded by fellow Slytherins Draco realized they were just simply watching as he was getting beat to a bloody pulp by his ex-minions. So much for loyalty. So much for being the Prince of Slytherin.

Draco raised his arms and tried to loosen Crabbe's grip upon his throat. But it was useless. Draco was beginning to lose consciousness. The only way he could possibly get out of this is if he transformed but even then he'd just be a blind wolf...would it really even matter? Would it a make a difference? Was it worth it? Maybe it was better this way...Draco thought numbly. So this was really the end. Ironic way to go really.

"Crabbe." Came a familiar voice. Draco could have jumped for joy. It was Blaise Zabini's voice. His childhood friend...surely Blaise would help him!

"You have a problem Blaise?" Crabbe grunted.

Blaise hesitated before answering. Did he have a problem? What did it matter to him if Draco was killed? Oh yea, right, they had been friends since childhood and its not like his family really were followers of the Dark Lord, in fact they were neutral in the matter. But Draco had gone and done something really really stupid. He had managed to destroy something very important and of extreme value of the Dark Lord's and so now everyone - Death Eaters or followers of the Dark Lord were out to get him. Blaise assumed the destruction had been successful and that Draco's blindness was the price he had had to pay.

Blaise sighed and ran a hand through his dark curly hair. Draco had been stupid. Stupid to go blind and stupid enough to end up in this kind of situation. Where did Blaise's loyalties lie? Perhaps to little bit with Draco but a bit more with self preservation. If he claimed to be on Draco's side now he would practically be declaring he was a traitor and against the Dark Lord and end up getting himself killed. The house of Slytherin would be divided. Everything would be a mess. It would be better to be neutral and not do anything. But if he didn't do anything Draco would be killed...

"No I don't." Blaise said in a tone that sounded as if he were trying to convince himself. _'If Draco can't get himself out of this mess he isn't worth following...I'm sorry Draco.' _Blaise clenched his fists until his finger nails dug into the soft palms of his hands and caused his hands to bleed. _'Come on Draco my old friend think of something!'_

But with hearing his best friend's words Draco had lost any motivation whatsoever to fight. "Blaise..." Unwanted tears welled up in Draco's eyes. So even his best friend of so many years wouldn't help him. What was the use of fighting anymore. He was blind...who ever heard of a blind wizard anyways. It would be better for everyone if he was just dead. Draco's arms fell to his sides and he offered up no resistance to Crabbe as the huge fists began to close down harder upon Draco's throat.

"Expelliarmus!" Came a shrill voice.

Crabbe's body was flung off of Draco and Draco was left to sink to his knees coughing for breath.

"Malfoy just what do you think you're doing?" Came a voice that when he recognized it caused Draco's eyes to widen. It couldn't be. Surely, not- "You bloody ferret!" Yep, it was her after all, the...bookworm, Granger.

"Wha..." Draco coughed up blood. "Do you mean?" He finished weakly.

"What I mean is-" Here she stopped. "Morbus Dolor!" Goyle, who had still be struggling with Grim and had been punching the poor dog's head as it continued obstinately to keep its hold upon Goyle's right arm, was suddenly screaming his head off as his skin was covered in painful red-hot boils. "You're not supposed to be here." Hermione finished blowing a strand of curly hair out of her face exasperatingly.

"Huh?" Draco was at a lose.

"You dummy, didn't you receive your letter?" Hermione tapped her foot impatiently. At this moment Crabbe had recovered and was coming towards Hermione from behind. Draco could hear the heavy footsteps as they approached her. It sounded to him like an elephant stampede.

"Look out, Granger!" Draco yelled, or more like squeaked his vocal cords were a real mess.

Hermione simply pointed her wand behind her and yelled off another curse as if she had been expecting this all along, "Incarcerous!" Out of nowhere thick black rope began to wrap its way around Crabbe's arms and legs snakelike until he fell to the floor. "Now as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. You're letter saying you've been awarded the position of Head Boy. Now really, I would think having managed to get that position in the first place, which is still a total mystery to me, you would be a lot more responsible than this." Hermione waved her arm helplessly about the room. "Now you better come along now. I don't want to stay up later than I have already. I had to search everywhere for you, _idiot_." She muttered the last word more to herself thinking Draco couldn't have possibly heard her.

"What? I'm Head Boy?" Draco was processing this information slowly. His head had been bashed in quite a few times after all. "So that means...you?"

"That's right. Im Head Girl but I would think that'd be obvious." Hermione said looking quite proud of herself. Draco could nearly picture her in his mind's eye.

Draco smiled, not smirked but smiled. "Yea should have guessed that alright. So what you're here to take me to our Head dorms is that it?"

"That's right, what did you think I was doing down here in this dark, dank dungeon." Hermione looked disgusted.

"Well...I thought maybe you were coming to rescue me or something." Draco offered hesitantly.

Hermione's eyes widened and her cheeks tinged pink. She was glad Draco was blind at that moment. She quickly shook her head to get herself under control. "Save you? Now that's a laugh. Why would I ever save the likes of you, ferret. All I'm saving is my beauty sleep."

"Yea, and that you really really need a whole LOT of." Draco nodded in understanding.

"You BLOODY UNGRATEFUL FERRET!"

ooo

Ok! So this is my first Harry Potter fanfic and I had a few ideas swimming around in my head so decided to give it a try and put it on paper. Let me know what you think and if I should keep it coming. Oh and if I messed anything up Harry Potter world wise let me know. Thanks!


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